Please help with wiring a double light switch!

glasgowdan

I've tried everything that seems sensible to me but can't figure this out, can anyone help?

There was a single switch for the room light, plus a separate wall light wired in to a socket so it was on a live cable constantly. I have routed a new cable from this wall light to a new double switch that will operate both the wall and main light.

So, the wall light cable isn't live, it runs from the light to the switch. The ceiling light cable is live.

How the hell do I wire these up? Every way I try it ends up with the wall light constantly live, and the ceiling light working fine on and off at the switch.

Photo; left hand cable is the wall light, right is the ceiling.

Wassa123

Looks the same as my B&Q light switches.

Put one wire in the "1", the other in the "COM" on each circuit.
The "2" is for 2 way switches.
No idea what the "SP" is for, I've never used it.

If in doubt... call an electrician!

alumende27

SP is spare as it not used. There won't be a metal contact or screw for it. Intermediate switches would use all 4 ways. I assume the manufacturers save money by making the same moulding irrespective of whether it's a 1 way, 2 way or intermediate switch.

Ruski

If you're hoping that the existing switch wire for the existing rose will be a permanent live then you will be disappointed, as 'normally' it is just that - a switch wire for the load circuit, no neutrals involved.
You need a live feed to the switch in order to achieve what you want, then you will be able to supply live switched feeds and neutrals to both light fittings individually.

HTH

Russ

Risteard

Wassa123 wrote: »

No idea what the "SP" is for, I've never used it.

It's not for using - it is simply telling you that the switch is single pole.

Ruski

You seem to have three core and earth at the switch - is this what you put in?

Russ

TheCyclingProgrammer

Its not entirely clear what you've done here. Are you saying that the wall light was simply spurred directly off an existing socket, without any fuse protection in between? And now you've run a new length of cable from the wall light to the switch? How is this new cable connected at the light end?

I think, if you're not sure what you are doing, you should get an electrician in to do it properly. A light can be run off the main ring via a fused connection unit with an appropriate sized fuse but it might just be easier if access is reasonable to take the power from your existing lighting circuit to the wall light and put a new switch cable drop.

alumende27

Risteard wrote: »

It's not for using - it is simply telling you that the switch is single pole.

It means SPare, as I wrote above. Only a few brands (Crabtree for one) label them like this. It's clearly a single pole switch as one of the three connectors is a COMmon. If it was a double pole, it would have 2 x L1 and 2x L2 and no common.

Back to the OP - as someone else has pointed out, and I missed the first time around, you have three wires on each cable plus the earth. Is the grey cable connected at the other end?

It does very much sound like you need to call an electrician. If you are remotely unsure you really shouldn't be doing this.

However, if you wish to persist, you may find drawing a diagram showing the individual conductors to be useful.

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/House_Wiring_for_Beginners#Lighting may be useful.

Mr.Generous

I get the feeling op is trying to entirely wire the wall light from the switch which will never work properly as no neutral. its not clear exactly where the thing is wired from.

glasgowdan

Yep I'm appreciating it's not straight forward as I had hoped so I've a chap coming over tomorrow to sort it out ��

Yes, the wall light was wired directly to the socket with nowt but a pair of skinny wires. Finding a lot of oddly constructed elements in this house!

Thanks for the replies and for going easy on me...

Risteard

dsdhall wrote: »

If it was a double pole, it would have 2 x L1 and 2x L2 and no common.

No it wouldn't. It would have generally phase and neutral in, and phase and neutral out.

A switch with two L1 and two L2 terminals would be an intermediate (but still single pole) switch.